US’s Western Global Airlines moots fleet growth

Western Global Airlines (KD, Fort Myers Southwest Florida) has petitioned the US Department of Transportation (DOT) to remove restrictions on the number of aircraft it can operate contained in its current certificate authority so as to facilitate further growth.

“Given that Western Global has been operating very successfully for seven years and meets or exceeds all fitness criteria, the company respectfully submits that a condition limiting its fleet size is no longer necessary. Removal of the condition will help facilitate Western Global’s continued orderly growth and ease the Department’s and Western Global’s administrative burdens,” the cargo specialist said.

Western Global Airlines was initially certified in 2014 to operate just four aircraft. In subsequent steps, the DOT increased the limit to nine, 15, and eventually 19 aircraft.

According to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module, the carrier currently operates fifteen aircraft: two B747-400(BCF)s, one B747-400(BDSF), one B747-400(FSCD), and fifteen MD-11(F)s. It is awaiting delivery of a further two MD-11(F)s, including one currently in storage at Oscoda and one still in service with Lufthansa Cargo. In its DOT filing, the carrier said it had a further four unspecified aircraft waiting to be added to its operations specifications and added that it owns a further three aircraft solely as a source of spare parts with no intention of operating them.

Western Global Airlines did not respond to ch-aviation’s request for comment concerning its fleet growth plans.